Simply Piano vs flowkey: which piano app suits you?

These two are compared more than any other pair of piano apps, and they’re closer than they look: both teach from real sheet music rather than falling notes, both listen to a real piano, and both are built for beginners and returning players. The differences are in what you practise, where you practise and how they price it.

Simply Piano and flowkey compared
	Simply Piano	flowkey
The music	Sheet music in the courses; “interactive sheet music” for songs^1,5	Sheet music beside a video of hands; full sheet-music view on tablets⁶
Checks your playing by	Microphone on any piano, or MIDI (Bluetooth MIDI on iPhone and iPad only)^7,8	Microphone (acoustic piano) or MIDI by USB or Bluetooth^9,6
What you play	Fixed courses and a song library, unlocked as you progress⁵	Fixed library of “thousands” of songs in four levels, plus courses⁶
Runs on	iPhone, iPad, Android; no Windows, Mac or browser version¹⁰	Browser on PC, Mac and Chromebook; iPhone, iPad, Android¹¹
Price (October 2026)	No public price list; it varies by country and offer. The US App Store lists yearly plans from $95.99 to $149.99^12,3	A few free songs; Classic $16.49/month or $99.99/year, Premium $24.99/month or $149.99/year (US)²
Free to try	Piano Basics course free; 7-day trial on yearly plans¹	A few free songs and lessons; 7-day trial on yearly plans; 14-day money-back²
On screen while you play	Sheet music; a touch mode turns the screen into a keyboard³	Sheet music and a video of a pianist’s hands⁴

Prices in US dollars; both vary by country. Scroll sideways on a phone.

How they teach reading

Simply Piano starts with reading. The free first course covers the basics, and the courses move on step by step to both hands^1,3. Its song section, with interactive sheet music in three levels, opens once you’re partway through the courses⁵.

flowkey starts with songs. Its courses teach reading, the keyboard and both hands⁶, but the heart of it is the library: you pick a song in one of four levels, watch the hands, and practise with the wait mode, loops, one hand at a time or a slower tempo^4,6. Tablets add a full sheet-music view for reading without the video⁶.

The difference shows over time. Simply Piano decides what comes next. flowkey lets you choose, which is more motivating if you have songs in mind and less structured if you don’t.

Where Simply Piano is stronger

A clear path for complete beginners, starting free¹.
Duo and Family plans with several profiles, and a touch mode for practising without a piano^13,3.

Where flowkey is stronger

Runs in the browser on Windows, Mac and Chromebook, as well as phones and tablets; Simply Piano has no desktop version^11,10.
Published prices, and a cheaper Classic plan for courses and classical music².
Video of a pianist’s hands for every song⁴.

Which to choose

Choose Simply Piano if you’re starting from nothing, want to be told what to do next, and will practise with a phone or tablet on the music stand.

Choose flowkey if you have songs you want to play, like to see the hands, or want to practise on a computer.

Either way, try both free first: the feel of the feedback matters more than any table.

If reading new music is the goal

Both teach you to read the songs they give you. Neither offers practice with music you’ve never seen, and that’s what sight reading is. For that, look at Piano Marvel, Sight Reading Factory or Pianomi in our sight-reading app round-up, or start with our free sight-reading exercises.

Simply Piano vs flowkey